


Just Another (Birth)Day in Paradise

by JenniM777



Series: Keithtober 2019 [23]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dad Keith, Established relationship Klance, Fluff, M/M, Vomiting, chaotic disaster, sick kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:20:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22171690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniM777/pseuds/JenniM777
Summary: Day 23 of Keithtober - BirthdayKeith's birthday does not go as planned. Kids get sick, things break, it rains, and he ends up missing his date with Lance. How much worse can it possibly get?
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Keithtober 2019 [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1504211
Comments: 14
Kudos: 75





	Just Another (Birth)Day in Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of sorts from day 18. If you haven't read that one, it may help to go back so that you can get a feel for the kids and know the background on how these kids became Keith's in this particular one-shot.   
> Also, the title and inspiration is from a Phil Vasser song called "Just Another Day in Paradise." It made me want to create a story around the idea of a chaotic mess in a house full of love.

Keith woke up to soft pats on his arm. He blinked slowly to find Tory standing next to his bed with tears in her eyes. He sat up quickly and reached out for her just as her face paled dramatically and she stepped back and proceeded to vomit all over the floor. Keith grabbed a hair tie that was around his wrist and without thinking, gently pulled Tory’s hair back, away from her face. Several minutes later she was leaning heavily into Keith, small tremors wracking her body, “Can you walk to the bathroom or do you want me to help you?”

  
Tory just shook her head instead of answering. Keith pushed her sweaty bangs back and took in her red rimmed eyes and pale face, “How about I carry you.”

  
Keith moved gently and rested Tory against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. He turned the light on and set Tory down, handing her a spare toothbrush, “Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth I’ll be right back ok?”

  
Several minutes later Keith was back with fresh pajamas, a bottle of water, and some nausea medicine. He wipes her face down with a damp cloth and carries her back to his bed. Tory lets out a whimper when he heads toward the door. He’s back at her side with a quick kiss to her forehead, “It’s okay sweetpea. I just need to clean up the floor.”

  
Tory lets out a soft huff, “Ok dad.”

  
Once the floor is clean, Keith changes his own shirt and glances at the clock on his night stand. The time blinks 2:45 in red and before he can slide under the covers he hears a cry from down the hallway. He sighs a breath of relief at Tory sleeping and he pads down the hall to get to Maddison before she wakes the other kids. Keith lifts her from her crib and she rubs her nose along Keith’s fresh shirt. He checks her diaper and finds it dry and bounces her gently as she continues to fuss. He checks on the others as he makes his way to the kitchen. Laura appears to have fallen asleep reading a book, Jack is passed out with Kosmo curled at the foot of his bed and Toby is curled up in the window with his face smooshed against the glass and a blanket halfway on the floor, moonlight highlighting his peaceful slumber.

  
Two hours later and Maddison was cranky as ever. She wasn’t hungry, her diaper was dry, and she would not let Keith put her down. Which led to Keith’s current predicament of Tory slumped against the toilet, Maddison crying frantically and clinging to Keith’s shirt, and Keith unable to help either one of them.

  
Keith was seated on the floor next to Tory rubbing her back as she emptied her guts and holding a sobbing Maddison. He looked up when he heard a scratchy voice, “Dad?”

  
Laura was standing at the bathroom door, sleep rumpled and rubbing her eyes, hair in a haphazard ponytail. Keith gave her an apologetic look, “I’m sorry we woke you.”

  
Laura just shrugged, “You want me to take Maddy?”

  
“If she’ll let you.”

  
Laura reached for Maddison who turned her face into Keith’s neck and refused to be handed over. Keith was concerned that she kept pulling on her ear and that she felt warmer than normal. Laura squeezed passed Keith and wet a small cloth and sat next to Tory, “I’ll stay with Tory.”

  
Keith stood up and kissed her forehead, “Thanks. Hopefully I can get Maddison down for a couple of hours of sleep.”

  
What felt like a lifetime later but only 10:00 am, Keith was slumped against the kitchen counter drinking what remained of a cold cup of coffee. His face scrunched as he drank the last bit and put the cup in the sink. He had made a few phone calls and Jenna had dropped by to check on Tory and Maddison. It seemed Tory was dealing with a stomach virus and Maddison was suffering from an ear infection and cutting two teeth. He eyed Laura sitting at the table, “Are you sure you can handle them while I go get the medicine and a few groceries?”

  
Laura nodded and waved Keith off, “Just go before Maddy wakes back up.”

  
Before Keith could get out the door Jack stumbled into the kitchen looking unusually pale. He sat next to Laura and let his head rest on the cold table. His eyes were glassy and red rimmed as he looked at Keith, “I don’t feel good pop.”

  
Laura was just able to push her chair back as Jack lurched to the side and promptly vomited. After several minutes where Jack was unable to do anything, Keith finally helped him to his feet and bundled him in bed next to Tory. He helped Laura clean the kitchen floor and then grabbed all the dirty clothes to be washed. In the midst of Jack getting sick, Maddison waking up, and Tory not doing any better, Keith forgot all about the laundry until he heard Toby let out a loud shriek. Moments later he heard Laura let out an exasperated, “Oh NOOOOO!”

  
He held a crying Maddy and made his way to the back and sucked in a breath as his socked feet encountered cold water. Keith, Laura and Toby just stared at each other and the washing machine that was spewing water all over the laundry room floor. Keith sloshed through the water and turned the knob that would effectively shut off the washing machine and opened the back door. The three of them managed to push most of the water out and take the still sopping wet clothes and hang them on a make-shift clothes line outside. 

  
The rest of Keith’s afternoon was spent trying to get Jack and Tory to keep anything down other than a few dry crackers and small sips of PowerAde, washing bed sheets by hand after another bout of vomiting from the pair of them, and Madison screaming for Keith and not letting him put her down while she was awake. She was running a low grade fever and Keith had yet to get out and grab the much needed medicine for his kids. He was also silently praying that neither Laura nor Toby got sick. 

  
Later in the evening Keith was slumped in a recliner, Maddison asleep against his chest and Tory curled against his side, all three fast asleep. Jack was sprawled across the sofa eyes blinking slowly as he watched Laura and Toby put together a puzzle when keys jingled softly in the door. The tall figure in the doorway took in the state of the house; the kitchen had dishes piled in the sink, the clothes from earlier were in a wet pile next to the door because it started raining at some point before they were dry, there was another pile of dirty clothes and bed sheets still needing to be washed overflowing from the laundry room, and the living room was a mess of blankets, PowerAde, crackers, and damp towels. 

  
Keith stirred when he felt someone lifting Maddison from his arms. He blinked several times at the figure standing above him; warm brown skin, ocean blue eyes, and dressed very nice. Keith took in the dark trousers, the blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to reveal nice forearms, and a tie. Realization slowly sank in and Keith cursed softly, “Shit Lance, I’m so sorry! I …my phone…I didn’t…”

  
Lance just leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Keith’s lips, “Shh, don’t worry. Laura updated me on the whole situation.”

  
Keith could only watch as Lance gently scooped a sleeping Maddison into his arms. He in turn shifted Tory onto his lap, “I need to call Pidge. She was going to babysit.”

  
Lance gave Keith a cheeky wink, “Already taken care of babe.”

  
Keith stood up with a still sleeping Tory in his arms and followed Lance to the kitchen. He watched as Lance rummaged through several bags that now sat on the small kitchen table. He blinked at the pile of clean and dry folded clothes also on the table and turned to stare at the now quietly humming washing machine in the laundry room. He turned back to Lance, “How long have I been asleep and when did you get here?”

Keith continued to watch as Lance placed a tupperware container in the microwave to heat up and rummaged in a bag to pull out the medicine that he never had a chance to pick up for Maddison’s ears. Lance deftly unscrewed the cap and measured out the correct dose and shifted just enough to squeeze the few drops into Madison’s ear. Lance looked up and gave Keith a soft smile, “I’ve been here long enough to reattach the water line behind the washing machine and get a few loads of laundry done.”

  
Keith sat hard in one of the kitchen chairs absentmindedly carding fingers through Tory’s hair, “But our date, I can’t….I’m sorry.”

  
Lance sat in a chair across from Keith, “Hey, you got a house full of sick kids. There is no need to apologize. Besides, we can always reschedule date night.”

  
Keith scrunches his face and rubs at his eyes, still apparently fighting the dregs of his earlier yet unexpected nap. He frowns at Lance, “You’re not mad?”

  
Lance reaches forward to smooth out the crease in Keith’s forehead, “Of course I’m not mad at you. In fact….”

  
Keith watches as Lance turns slightly and rummages around through the multitude of bags on the table. He pulls out a small cupcake in fancy plastic packaging and places it in front of Keith, “Happy Birthday babe.”

  
Keith’s face softens at the small cupcake, “You didn’t have to do that.”

  
Lance just shrugs and goes back to digging in the bags, “I know. But I wanted to. I also got smaller individual cupcakes for the kiddos. We can let them sing to you and enjoy cupcakes when they’re all feeling better.”

  
Keith can only sit there and smile stupidly at his boyfriend. His wonderful, thoughtful boyfriend that had this elaborate date set up for the two of them to enjoy Keith’s birthday. But instead, here he was, dressed to the nines in Keith’s kitchen, heating up soup probably made by Mrs. McClain or Hunk and helping take care of Keith’s sick kids. Keith tilted his head to let it softly rest against Tory’s and smiled at Lance, “I love you.”

  
Lance’s answering smile lit up his entire face, “I love you too.”

After another round of upset stomachs for Tory and Jack, and another crying spell from Madison. All the kids are finally settled and dosed up for the night. Keith’s bed is full of kids, Kosmo, and Lance. He smiles at the pile of tangled blankets, lightly dosing kids, and Lance dressed in a pair of sleep pants and one of Keith’s t-shirts. He’s exhausted from the day’s events but he smiles softly at Lance on the opposite end of the bed. Jack is asleep just behind Keith, Tory is curled into Keith, Toby is at the foot of the bed with his head pillowed on Kosmo, Madison is resting comfortably in Lance’s arms, and Laura is between him and Tory tapping away at a game. Keith reaches across Tory and Laura for Lance’s hand. Their pinkies lock together and Keith whispers, “Thanks.”

  
Lance lifts their hands to kiss Keith’s knuckles, “Anytime.”

  
Keith snorts, “Anytime huh? You want a lifetime of sick kids and chaos?”

  
Lance blinks and his face grin turns wicked, “A lifetime? Is that your idea of a proposal?”

  
Laura stops tapping at her game to glance at Keith whose face has gone furiously red. He shrugs and the movement wakes up Tory who blinks lazily, “Is it a proposal if there isn’t a ring?”

  
Laura tilts her head up to gauge Lance’s reaction. Lance just plays it cool clearly enjoying Keith’s flustered face, “You tell me. You’re the one asking if I want a lifetime of this.”

  
Keith dips his head at Tory, her small hands are pressing something into his hand. He looks down to see a plastic ring that she had been wearing and a soft smile on her face. Keith just stares at the toy for several seconds. He also sees the small movement as she slips off a second ring and passes it to Laura. Laura’s grin is wicked as she passes the other small plastic ring to Lance.

  
Keith can’t help but feel his heart pick up speed at the equally flustered look on Lance's face when he takes the ring from Laura. Keith also can’t help his impulsiveness, head nestled on a soft pillow, arms full of sick kids. And he also can’t help but feel that this is somehow right, this moment right here, right now, a shit storm of chaos and exhaustion pulling at him, hair a mess with a unicorn clip keeping his messy bangs from falling in his face. He stares and stares at the man across from him lounging in too short sleep pants that belong to Keith, a t-shirt that barely hits at his waist. He stares at the man that dropped his all of his carefully crafted plans to celebrate Keith’s birthday in favor of helping him take care of a motley crew of sick kids. Keith’s voice comes out in a rushed whisper of awe, affection, and love, “Marry me.”

  
Lance’s head whips up and he jostles Maddison in his arms a bit at the sudden movement. Laura is watching the pair of them, Tory is blinking sleepily at Keith with a soft smile on her face, Toby is now awake eyes darting back and forth from Keith to Lance and back again, and Jack is now perched on one elbow staring dazedly at Lance. The world in that tiny bubble of a bedroom crowded together on a king sized bed waits on baited breath for Lance to answer. 

  
Lance holds the plastic ring in his hand and his face lights up. He watches Keith slowly extends his own plastic ring in a shaky hand to Lance. Lance stares at the ring that Keith holds as if it’s more precious than any gold wedding band, as if it’s more precious than the most expensive gems in the universe. He extends his own hand and holds out a matching plastic ring and his voice is just as hushed as he whispers back, “Marry me too.”

  
Behind Keith, Jack flops back onto his pillow and nudges his elbow into Keith’s back, “G’nigh pop. G’night other pop.”

  
Lance laughs softly at the tired affection from the once grumpy and angry little boy that reminds them both of Keith at that age. Laura is nudging at Lance and whispering not so subtly to put his ring on Keith’s finger. Tory nestles back into Keith, too tired to stay awake anymore. Toby just grins at the pair of them and hides his head in Kosmo’s fur and giggles. The only two kids who aren’t sick wait and make a show of urging Keith and Lance to exchange their rings. 

  
Days later, Keith learns that Lance had planned to propose to Keith at some fancy restaurant for his birthday. A couple of years later when they actually get married, they exchange small plastic rings from that chaotic day. Keith to this day still says it was his best birthday ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful comments and kudos!


End file.
